Drunk SAS pilot cleared by Swedish court

A pilot flying for SAS who failed a breathalyzer test before a scheduled flight from Stockholm Arlanda airport in May has been cleared by the Attunda District Court. The court concluded that there was no proof that the man had started a work assignment of “essential importance for air safety” when he was found to be over the limit. If the pilot had already begun flying the aircraft, he would have been convicted. The court said that the man was certainly in no state to fly a plane but that he could not be found guilty of flying under the influence. Since the incident in May, the man has been relieved of his duties and has lost his flight certificate. “This is the first case of flying under the influence tried in a court and it is new legislation that is being tested,” Tommy Larsson of the Swedish Airline Pilots Association (Svensk Pilotförening) told the news agency TT. He said he was happy with the result. “We don’t defend his actions, just the criminal charge. It is important to separate what is written in the SAS policy and in the legislation.”The Local[Photo: Swedavia/Tommy Säfström]